As far as I concern, I agree with Dan’s statement: “there is no such thing as an original idea “. There were so many times that I have to ask myself if I read, saw or heard about ideas which just pop up in my head. And of course, I have no idea where they come from almost every time.

“Even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking in one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be… The presence of the original is prerequisite to the concept of authenticity.”

Benjamin, The work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction

Benjamin makes a valid point here. Just like Dan mentioned on his example , no matter how hard we try, we can never capture the whole feeling or meaning of a particular moment. All we do is capturing a moment with our unique interpretation based on our knowledge and experiences ( or closure ).

So, what about the discovery of the gravity by Isaac Newton and 100 inventions of Thomas Edition? There are so many names of scientists whose discovery rose our  society to a new chapter. However, in term of original idea, I think they might not be the first ones who came up with those ideas. Their might be people who introduced the ideas before famous names, but those people failed to develop, present or clarify them. The reasons could be lack of enthusiast, courage or just because the society in which they lived did not acknowledge their efforts.

Reference:
Benjamin, Walter. (n.d.). The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, EReserve.